Analysis of Emerging Pollutants in the Context of Risk Assessment in European River Basins

1.00pm - 1.40pm
Day One
Dr Jaroslav Slobodnik
Executive Director
Environmental Institute, Slovak Republik

The need to look beyond the conventional target pollutants when assessing the hazards of chemicals to human health and to ecosystems is now generally recognised as a priority issue in all environmental policy areas at both the European level and national level in the various countries. All EU Member States are struggling now to develop the knowledge and methodologies needed for measuring and evaluating the effects and associated risks of a vast number of emerging pollutants.

This presentation will provide an overview on the efforts undertaken at the EU scale ensuring (i) more rapid and wide-scope exchange of data and information on emerging substances, (ii) better data quality and comparability via validation and harmonisation of common measurement methods and monitoring tools, (iii) more transparent information (need for information, not just data) and (iv) the implementation of an independent and competent forum for the technical/scientific debate on issues related to emerging substances. Activities of the pan-European NORMAN network (www.norman-network.net) of leading research centres, reference laboratories and other organisations in the field of emerging substances, in support of the DG Environment of the European Commission, will be introduced.